Syria’s Interior Ministry inaugurated on Tuesday, September 9, a new Immigration and Passports Department office at the Yalbugha complex in Damascus.

Interior Minister Anas Khattab told Enab Baladi that the new center aims to ease overcrowding at existing immigration offices and increase the daily passport issuance capacity in Damascus from 1,500 to 3,500.

He added that the ministry has formed two committees, one to design a new passport in line with the country’s updated national ID system, and another to address database issues within the immigration department. The committees found programming glitches and a slow operating system that required fixes.

Regarding Syrians abroad who lack personal documents, Khattab said the ministry is coordinating with civil affairs offices to issue identity papers based on family lineage (mother, father, or grandfather), provided the applicant holds a birth certificate from their country of residence.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba told Enab Baladi that the ministry is also investing in staff development, focusing on behavioral and administrative training to shift from the bureaucratic mindset of the former regime to a modern, citizen-centered approach.

According to al-Baba, the ministry’s new vision includes eliminating paperwork and in-person visits that often foster corruption through direct interactions with employees. Instead, the plan involves digital applications allowing citizens to connect directly with the emerging e-government.

Khattab noted that the ministry has dismissed numerous employees found to have engaged in corruption or what he described as “criminal practices” against citizens under the former regime.

Two-day processing

Amin Youssef, head of the Administrative Affairs Branch at the Immigration and Passports Department, told Enab Baladi that processing at the Yalbugha center takes two days: one day for registration and data entry, which takes less than ten minutes, and the next day for passport pickup.

Immigration and Passports Director Brigadier General Othman Abdullah Hilal told Enab Baladi that the center is equipped with 60 service windows capable of handling 200 citizens per hour.

The application process begins with an online appointment. Applicants then visit the designated center with their national ID, two personal photos, and their old passport, if available. Those without IDs can obtain an individual civil registry extract, stamped by a local mayor and municipal council, which serves as a valid document for passport issuance.

The opening was attended by Minister Khattab, Deputy Minister of Police Affairs Major General Ahmad Latouf, and Brigadier General Hilal.

On September 6, the Interior Ministry also inaugurated a new civil affairs center at the Yalbugha complex, equipped with modern technology and spacious halls.

Passport fee reductions

On June 26, the ministry issued a decision lowering fees for Syrians inside and outside the country.

The decision, published on the ministry’s official Facebook accounts, stated that consular fees for granting or renewing passports abroad were cut as follows:
– Urgent passports now cost $400 instead of $800.
– Regular service passports cost $200 instead of $300.

For Syrians inside the country, the fee for an immediate-service passport was reduced from 2,000,000 to 1,600,000 Syrian pounds (about 138 USD)